


For The Rest of My Life

by goddess_julie



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M, No Smut, Romantic Fluff, Wedding Fluff, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 12:58:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14770077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddess_julie/pseuds/goddess_julie
Summary: “It’s understandable that you’re feeling a little bit scared right now.”Zayn looks up at the owner of the voice, narrowing his eyes before focusing his attention back to the laptop screen in front of him.  “I’m not a little bit scared.”Louis rolls his eyes as he barks out a hearty laugh.  “I know, I was being kind. You’re scared shitless mate, but I’m serious.  It’s normal for you to be scared.”***Or: Zayn is stressing, Louis and Niall are battling for title of Best Mate and really all Zayn wants to do is marry Liam.





	For The Rest of My Life

**Author's Note:**

> It has been just over 3 years since I've written in any fandom. I've never taken this long of a break and honestly the thought of writing again is nearly as terrifying as trying to write again. 1D was the last I wrote in and it's still the one I read, so I wanted to come back to where I left off. I'm not even sure if I have the muse to get back into writing how I want to, but I'm going to make a valiant effort. Any/all mistakes are mine. I may need to get my legs back before I can run, but I can't not try.

“It’s understandable that you’re feeling a little bit scared right now.”

Zayn looks up at the owner of the voice, narrowing his eyes before focusing his attention back to the laptop screen in front of him. “I’m not a little bit scared.”

Louis rolls his eyes as he barks out a hearty laugh. “I know, I was being kind. You’re scared shitless mate, but I’m serious. It’s normal for you to be scared.”

“Not scared,” Zayn protests with just a little bit of a pout. He’ll admit he’s pouting, but just a little. He will not admit that he’s scared. Louis Tomlinson may be his best friend, has been since they were in pampers, but he’s wrong. Zayn’s also not above punching him in the dick when he’s being an asshole, and Louis is about to learn that fact first hand.

Much to Zayn’s dismay, Louis takes his pout as an invitation to sit down in the booth beside him and make himself comfortable. Before Zayn can complain, Louis is already talking again. “Okay fine, you’re not scared.” Louis affords a casual shrug. “What have you written then?”

“Fuck you, mate.” Zayn’s scowl deepens as his response elicits a laugh from Louis. The bastard looks absolutely delighted and Zayn makes a few notes in his open journal beside his laptop.

Niall is my new best mate.

Upon reading Zayn’s chicken scratch notes Louis gasps and tries to scribble over Zayn’s handwriting.

“Blasphemy,” Louis hisses. He starts when he hears a voice behind him.

“I wasn’t already your best mate?” Niall sits down with a sandwich and a bottle of water and nods in the direction of Zayn’s journal. “Blasphemy is right. That title is already mine.”

“First off, no it wasn’t,” Louis sits up straighter and fixes the fringe of his hair that has fallen over his eyes. “It’s been mine and will continue to be mine until…”

“Not that I don’t appreciate you both fighting over me like I’m some bird, because I do. Honestly and truly. But why the fuck are you both here?” Zayn knows he has to catch this argument early or it may go on for days. Niall looks like he’s about to argue so Zayn kicks him under the table. “Lads?”

Louis blushes and refuses to meet his eyes. Zayn watches him look at Niall, a hint of panic in his expression which causes for Zayn’s stomach to flutter a little bit. He turns his attention to Niall who is having a silent conversation with Louis with his eyes. Louis must not understand what Niall is trying to tell him, so the blonde begins to mouth words which Louis still seems to be having trouble understanding.

“Tell him,” Niall finally says before taking a giant bite of his sandwich. When Louis squawks Niall smiles through a mouth full of food and point to his cheeks as if to say “sorry, mouth is full.”

“Fucking wanker,” Louis mutters under his breath. 

Zayn watches with fascination as Louis tries to think of the best way to say what they’re trying to hide from him.

“Louis, just spit it out,” Zayn’s voice is much calmer than he feels. “Unless you want me to tell everyone about the night I found you and Grimmy…”

At the same time Niall chokes on his mouthful of sandwich Louis squeaks and Zayn lets out the first genuine laugh he’s felt in what seems like weeks. The darker red that Louis’s face and throat turns, the harder Niall coughs on the food that has gotten caught in his throat and Zayn finds himself laughing so hard that there are tears streaming down his face. It feels good, releasing all of the pent up anxiety that he’s been unsuccessfully trying to hide and once Niall and Louis recover they join him in laughter.

Zayn is startled when Louis throws himself across the bench and hugs him, pulling him close. “You promised you’d never speak of that night!” Louis’ voice is equal parts indignant and whiny.

“You promised I’d never speak anything of that night,” Zayn reminds his best friend with a tight smile. “So, start talking.”

“Lima’s worried about you,” Niall finally admits with an apologetic smile. He rolls his eyes and holds a hand up to stop Louis from yelling at him. “Oh, like you’re not about to tell him yourself Tommo.” Niall turns back to Zayn. “Lima asked us to come and talk to you, see what’s up and …”

“And convince you not to call off the wedding,” Louis blurts out as he bangs his head on the table.

Zayn is completely stunned and his stomach drops to what feels like his feet. He looks back and forth between Niall and Louis who are giving him an apologetically awkward smile. Niall shrugs, confirming Louis’ confession.

“Liam thinks…” Zayn looks at Louis before his eyes fall down to his laptop where the cursor on Word is blinking angrily at him. “He thinks I want to call everything off?”

“You won’t speak about the wedding to anyone. Every time someone brings it up you change the subject or get so angry that you storm off,” Louis points out. Niall nods.

“Last week Harry asked you about flowers and you told him that if everyone didn’t get off your ass about it there might not be a wedding.”

Zayn squawks. “NO, I said if everyone didn’t get off my ass no one would be COMING to the wedding.”

Both of his friends raised an eyebrow causing for Zayn to deflate.

He knows he’s been stressed out about his and Liam’s wedding which was only a few months away. They’re in the final stages of getting everything completely organized and finalized and Zayn wants everything confirmed. He just wants it done so that they can spend their last few weeks of being not married relaxing and enjoying each other before they start the next phase of their lives.

Zayn has known that Liam Payne is his forever since the day they met. He will never forget the day that Niall introduced his flat mate Harry to Louis and Zayn. Harry who had come to uni with his own best friend Liam Payne and changed Zayn’s life. The thought to not marry Liam had never entered Zayn’s mind, and to know that Liam has taken his stress as cold feet has Zayn feeling miserable. Niall and Louis must see it reflected in his expression.

“Oh Zayner,” Louis coos softly. He begins petting Zayn’s hair which shows how distracted he is if Zayn doesn’t immediately give Louis shit for it. “Is it Payno’s rippling muscles? Is that why you’re having second thoughts? Having to wake up to that hulk of a man every morning?”

Zayn looks up at the other man as if he’s insane which causes Niall to start laughing.

“Or is it his smelly feet? Because I swear he killed our plants with how bad they smell.”

“Mate,” Zayn says as he pushes Louis off of him. “That’s YOUR feet that killed your plants. That’s what happens when you wear runners without socks and don’t wash your feet ever!”

Niall gives a serious nod. “He’s right, Tommo. It’s proper disgusting. I think that the last time you were over, Harry’s cat didn’t come out from under his bed for days afterwards.”

“Excuse YOU very much.” Louis sniffs and puts his nose up in the air. “Is it Payno’s facial hair? Like, I get that he’s an ugly sod, but I thought you liked his type of ugly!”

“We get it, you’re not attracted to Lima because your type is obviously Nick Fecking Grimshaw, Lou.” Niall cackles at the gasp and squeak his exclamation elicits from Louis. “Liam Payne is a hot, muscley, bear of a man who can make birds and Zayner here cream their panties with a blink of both his eyes. You prefer them tall, slender, scraggly and…”

“Big cocked. Yes, I prefer them big cocked and Payno has…”

“A cock that would break you in half Lou,” Zayn says confidently. When Louis’s eyes widen and his jaw drops just slightly, Zayn gives a sharp nod. “I’m serious, you couldn’t take him on your best day. He would suffocate you with his prick.”

Louis’ whimper causes both men to burst into laughter. He looks at Niall who nods his head with a shrug.

“Monster cock.”

“I need a reference,” Louis counters. Niall and Zayn exchange a look and both smile.

“Make’s Harry’s look average,” Niall admits. Zayn agrees with a thumbs up.

Louis whimpers and squeezes his own cock that is growing in his skinnies. They’ve all been subject to Harry walking around nude over the years, never feeling shame of his body. His impressive cock has been subject of many conversations, and now for Louis to find out that Liam’s been packing all of this time has him curious. And aroused.

“So,” Louis starts once he’s gotten control of himself. “Zee, what’s going on?” 

Zayn blushes and feels his pulse racing with anxiety. Finally he shrugs.

“You can’t tell me that you’re not more in love with Payno now than you were the first day you met. He is literally every dream you’ve ever had and he worships the ground you walk on. But at any wedding talk, you turn into some psychotic mad man.”

“And you’ve been ignoring his calls for the past week?” Niall says without accusation. Despite knowing that Zayn has in fact been avoiding Liam for a week, Niall poses it as a question. He ignores Zayn’s embarrassed flinch and waits patiently for an answer.

“I don’t have… I can’t…”

Neither Niall or Louis speak, letting Zayn get everything out on his own terms at his own pace.

“I don’t know what to write for my vows.”

A silence follows Zayn’s confession. He looks at Niall and Louis who are staring at him, unblinking with mirroring looks of confusion on their faces.

“What?” Zayn finally says after an extended silence.

“What what?” Louis chirps back. When Zayn gives him the finger and turns to Niall for comfort, he finds the same indifference.

“I’m with Tommo on this, what what?”

“I don’t know what to write. We said we were going to write our own vows and I have nothing. Abso-fucking-lutely nothing.”

Again, he’s met with no response. Zayn is admittedly getting a little frustrated. 

“Fuck you both,” Zayn growls.

“No, fuck you Zayner.” Niall laughs. “You’re throwing a massive twat sized tantrum because you haven’t written your vows?”

“You can’t pick flowers because you don’t have your vows written?” Louis added. “You won’t go for your final tux fitting because you’ve not written your vows?”

“Lima hasn’t gotten any communication from you all week because…” Niall pauses when he sees the murderous expression on Zayn’s face. He continues anyways. “…you haven’t finished your vows!”

“Finished? I haven’t even started them. Liam let me know last week he’s written his. I haven’t even started.” Zayn’s voice is bordering on hysterical.

“And in a week he’ll toss those ones out and write them again. Do you know how many times he’s written and rewritten them?” Louis grabs Zayn’s iced coffee and takes a swig of it, grimacing at the taste of it.

“And I’ll still not have even written mine once. So thank you for showing me what a dick I am. How horrible I am that I can’t even write down one fucking word about why I want to marry the love of my life.”

“Zee, do you have a brand new vagina to go with this epic freak out? Can I see it?” Niall grins and wiggles his eyebrows. He barely ducks the handful of sugar packets that Louis tosses at him.

“Sexist much?” Louis frowns. “I expected better from you Nialler.” He shakes his head sadly as Niall protests Louis’ words. “I also expected better from you Zee.” Louis turns his attention to Zayn.

“Fuck you,” both men respond to Louis at the same time.

Zayn bangs his head on the table in front of him out of frustration. He growls as Louis smacks the back of his head. 

“Why are you even marrying Payno?” It’s a simple question and Louis shrugs when Zayn lifts his head to stare at him.

“What?”

“Why are you marrying him? Why Payno? Why not anyone else?”

“You fucking asshole. Because I love him. Because he makes me smile, he makes me want to do good things for him, for other people. He wants me to be better than I am, better than he deserves, which is impossible because he deserves the absolute best. He can’t pass by someone needing help without helping them, even when it’s inconvenient for him. He helps old ladies, he helps animals. He wants to be a fucking fireman to save peoples lives, but then gets so fucking embarrassed when people thank him because he doesn’t want the attention. He puts up with my mood swings, my bad days and when I’m being a complete asshole because something is not perfect. And even if it doesn’t have to be perfect, I want it perfect because he deserves perfect. He deserves everything, and I swear I’m going to spend the rest of my damn life giving him everything. Because he chose me. He could have fallen in love with anyone else, he could have fucking had any fucking bloke or bird to make a life with but he chose me and I will not let him down by being a selfish prick. A better question is why would he want to marry me?”

Louis looks smug and more than a little proud of himself which causes for Zayn to take a much needed breath. He’s breathing heavily from how emotional he’s gotten talking about Liam and he looks at Niall who is watching him with his chin in his hands.

“What?” Zayn asks, slightly self conscious.

“Well, I’d clean it up a bit, but I think that was good,” Niall says with a nod in Louis’ direction. Louis nods back. 

“Seriously Zee, do you think you should be saying fuck so many times in church? And even if you are a selfish prick, I don’t think the kids need to hear it.” Louis holds up his phone with a smile on his face. “And I got it all recorded for you so you can just watch it again later and transcribe your vows. You know, without being such a fucking foul mouth asshat.”

Niall howls with laughter as he gets up to start putting Zayn’s laptop away in his bag. Louis clears off the table while Zayn watches them in confusion.

“What?” Zayn hasn’t moved.

“What, is that we’ve just written your vows, which you’re welcome for by the way. What else, is that we have cake tasting scheduled at 5:30 and we’re going to need about 45 minutes to get there. Now that you’re not stressing about your vows, you can stop being a total cunt and help your fiancé plan this wedding.”

Zayn allows himself to be led out of the café. “Wait, we have a cake picked out,” he says as he crawls into Louis’ passenger side of his car.

“You tried one cake and chose it. You did not taste cakes, you pointed to a cake and said ‘that’ll do’, Niall says as he hands Zayn a laminated piece of paper. “You will not have a cake that will “do” for your wedding. And this, is your itinerary for the next week. We have the cake tasting to get to and then you’re going to spend tonight making up to Lima for being such a moody bitch this week.” 

“We need to seriously have a talk about your offensive gender stereotypes Nialler,” Louis cackles as he pulls onto the busy road to take them to the bakery.

“Wow, shagging Grimmy has really raised your awareness of social issues. He must be pumping you full of opinions on gender equality with his magic cock, because god knows you didn’t give a shit about anything before.” Niall grinned as he watched Louis’ cheeks burn at his words.

“I’ll give you a magic cock,” Louis grumbles under his voice. “Also, we agreed not to talk about it.”

“First off, YOU agreed not to talk about it. Second, we know that you’re proper in love with that man and he’s just as in love with you, it’s just that neither of you will admit it to anyone. Least of all yourselves,” Zayn points out with a face splitting smile. He’s feeling a lightness that he’s not felt in what seems like forever. He knows he’s been overthinking his vows, wanting them to be as perfect as Liam deserves. 

He wants his words to do his love for Liam justice. He wants them to reflect how much Liam means to him and it is a lot to live up to, something that Zayn was getting lost in his own head about. As he listens to Niall and Louis argue about Louis’ relationship with Nick Grimshaw, a friend of Harry’s who had introduced the two to each other a few years earlier, he realizes how lucky he is. That his friends love him enough to be as invested in his relationship as he and Liam are. That they love him and care about him to bring himself out of his own mind. That, judging from the itinerary he is looking at before him, has gone through the trouble to arrange fittings, tastings and all of the other appointments that he and Liam need to attend that he has been avoiding for the past few weeks.

Niall and Louis are still taking swipes back and forth as they pull into the parking lot by the bakery. Zayn can see Liam and Harry standing outside, talking about something that has Liam’s face in a relaxed smile, his hair growing in from the last buzz cut he’d gotten weeks ago. The sun is shining off of his skin in a way that makes him look like he is eretheral, glowing and Zayn can’t unbuckle his seatbelt fast enough. “Fuck off,” he hisses at Louis who is laughing at his inability to get out of the car fast enough, but once he has freed himself, Zayn runs across the lot to where Liam is watching him in confusion.

Zayn doesn’t care about anything but getting to Liam. He needs to hold his fiancé, needs to touch him, feel him and assure him that everything is going to be okay. That there is no way that he would ever want to cancel their wedding, that Zayn wouldn’t want to spend the rest of his life with him. Before Liam can speak the confusion that is clearly written on his face, Zayn launches himself at him and kisses him hungrily. Zayn melts into Liam’s embrace and feels the exact moment Liam relaxes and goes along with Zayn’s kiss. They are wrapped up in one another and it isn’t until Zayn is forced to pull away to breathe he speaks. 

“Babe, I’m so sorry.”

“What?” Liam moans as he leans in for another kiss, capturing Zayn’s mouth with his own.

“I’m sorry,” Zayn says against Liam’s mouth.”

“Why? For kissing me?”

Zayn pulls back and sees the dazed look of wonder on his fiance’s face. Liam’s lips are swollen and his gaze is lidded, he’s never looked more beautiful to Zayn. “No, for everything. For this week, for freaking out.”

“You were freaking out?”

“Payno, get it together,” Louis says with a sharp smack to Liam’s backside. “Stop thinking with Payno Junior and make Zee grovel.”

Liam’s response is to lean in and bring his and Zayn’s mouth together in another kiss. This one is softer, deeper and Zayn can feel it right down to his toes. “I love you Liam,” he whispers softly, voice choked with emotion. “So much.”

“I love you Zee,” Liam responds. He presses their foreheads together and looks deep into Zayn’s eyes. Finally, he speaks again. “Everything okay?”

“Course.” Zayn presses a soft kiss to Liam’s lips. “Love you, lets go pick some cake. We’ll talk tonight.” He turns around to see that their friends are already inside, picking out cakes to try at the counter. 

“We better hurry, or else those three donuts are going to be picking our wedding cake flavour,” Liam says with a laugh as he pulls Zayn towards the bakery door. 

Zayn exchanges a loving smile with him. “As long as there is you, me and two rings, I don’t even care.”


End file.
